RE: Tire recommendations

[alex.fadeev@xxxxxxxxxxx]

MichaeL BecK [mailto:mbeck@domain.elided] wrote:
> 
> I just about lost it going around a corner in a rainfall last 
> week, so I guess it's that time again for me to buy tires and
> as always, it's a pain. There's hardly any selection and it's
> expensive. But anyway, I guess that's a tradeoff for driving 
> a superb road handler. Anyway, I was hoping to get some input
> from you guys...this is for a 1997 328i

As a reference, you would not be still driving on the original Dunflop 8080
(16" sports package) or Michelin (15" non-sports) tires, would you? By the
way, what size wheels do you have?

> I've had Conti Z rated(factory set), Michelin V rated and now
> Dunlop Z rated. 

What tire models would those be? All of the above tire manufacturers make
for than one tire in a given speed rating!
I assume we are talking about 225/50/16 tires, right?

> The Michelins were definitely the nicest and best wearing, but 
> then again they also cost almost $900 for the set.
> Anyway, I've looked around town and it looks like my options 
> this year are a Cooper Cobra W rated (what ever that is) for
> $520, a Firestone Firehawk SVX V rated for $730 and a Michelin
> Sport AS for $865. Does anyone have any experience with any of
> these. 

Not with the cheap stuff.
If you want the best wet and dry tires, there are basically two choices:
Bridgestone S03PP ($162/each) or Michelin Pilot Sports ($175/each).
The rest are going to be a compromise in either dry (Bridgestone RE730s) or
wet (Michelin MXX3s) handling. 
See more at www.tirerack.com

> I'm leaning towards the Firestones, decent price and I at least
> know the name. The Coopers are alluring in price, but I don't 
> know ANYTHING about that tire.

Yeah, but do you know mostly good or bad things about that name! ;-))
Seriously, Firestone is owned by Bridgestone and is used primarily as a
marketing name for Bridgestone tires for Detroit cars/trucks. Nothing wrong
with that, so you should not discount them just because their truck tires
have a tendency to self destruct. ;-)

What you "heard" about a tire brand should have no effect on your tire
selection, since what you "know" is likely based on worthless marketing
blurbs delivered over mass media. 

If you want to make and informed decision on which tires to buy next, go to
TireRack's web site and check out their testing _and_ customer feedback
data. See how other people rated those tires and pick the one that fits your
price/wet/dry/longevity objective.

good luck,
alex f

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